Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus, a lighting device, an image pickup system, an automatic irradiation direction control method, and its program, and in particular, relates to a technique of automatic irradiation direction control for flash photography.
Description of the Related Art
There is a photography method called bounce flash photography in which a flash light from an electronic flash device is emitted toward a ceiling, etc., so as to irradiate a subject with diffuse reflection from the ceiling etc. Since a subject is illuminated indirectly in the bounce flash photography, the subject is photographed with a soft light.
There is a known auto-bounce-control technique that enables the optimal bounce flash photography automatically without requiring a user (photographer) to set a bounce angle (an angle of a light emitting section for bounce flash photography) (for example, see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. H04-340527 (JP H04-340527A)). In the auto bounce control, a distance to a ceiling, etc., and a distance to a subject are measured. Then, the optimal bounce angle is determined on the basis of the obtained measurement values so that the subject is photographed with a soft light, and an electronic flash device is driven so that the angle of the light emitting section becomes the determined bounce angle.
In the technique in the above-mentioned publication, when a photometry switch interlocked with a release button for starting a photometry action, a ranging action, etc., to a subject turns ON, the auto bounce control starts.
However, such a configuration that starts the auto bounce control with one button may disable prompt execution of the suitable bounce flash photography depending on a photographing condition. On the other hand, a configuration that allows the auto bounce control with a plurality of buttons can be considered. However, when the plurality of buttons are continuously operated in this case, there is a possibility that suitable auto bounce control cannot be performed.